Today,I would like to teach you about Shodo (書道). Shodo is Japanese calligraphy
Usually, most of children learn calligraphy in elementary school. It is also popular among adults.

Tools

If you start shodo, you need to prepare a variety of tools.

筆(Fude) : Brush
下敷き(Shitajiki) : Black soft mat. It provides a comfortable, soft surface.
文鎮(Bunchin) : Metal stick. It’s to weight down the paper during writing.
半紙(Hanshi) : Special, thin calligraphy paper.
硯(Suzuri) : Heavy black container.
墨(Sumi) : Ink stick. Solid black material that must be rubbed in water in the suzuri to produce the black ink which is then used for writing.
墨汁(Bokujyu) : instant ink in bottles.

Prepare for writting

Step1

Pour some water in Suzuri.

Step2
Hold stick with the thumb, index and middle finger
Press the ink stick on the ink stone very lightly and start describing circular movements with the stick. After a while the ink becomes blacker and thicker.
You can add some water during the grinding if necessary.
Since it takes a while to prepare a decent amount of Sumi ink, bokuju (instant liquid ink) is available in bottles.

Practice Shodo

Japan (日本)

You can take trial lessons foe foreigners in Japan. Why don’t you join!See you next time! Bye Bye!